Garment case



GARMENT CASE Filed June 18, 1940 I INVENTORS 512 23 5 Z4 NATHAN ME5TL BY J05EPH a RMAN 1 3, M

ATTORNE (or both for coats during different Patented Aug. 29, 1944 OFF-ICE GARMENT CASE.

Nathan Mestel and Joseph Berman, New York,

N. Y., assignors to Aaron A. Mestel, Brooklyn,

Application June 18, 1940,"Serial No. 341,088

9 Claims. (Cl. 312--176) This invention relates to improvements in garment cases.

One of the objects of our invention is to provide a garment case which may be adjusted to fi-t garments to be placed therein.

Another object i to enable one case to be usable for different types and sizes of garments.

Yet another object is to provide a garment case which may carry different types and sizes of garments at one time.

Yet another object is to produce a garment case which will take up a limited amount of floor space and height.

A further object is to provide a garment case which may be rapidly and simply adjusted by an unskilled person.

Other objects and advantage will be apparent from the following description:

Figure '1 is a perspective view of a garment case wherein the near section is shown in lowered position with the top closed and the far section is shown in'raised position withthe top open.

Figure2 is a vertical section on the line 2'2 of Figure 1.

Figure '3 is a plan view. Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective showing one of the hinges connecting a top portion of the a garment display case in mens clothing shops where both suits and coats are sold. As the sale of coats is'seasonable it has beena practice in many shops to remove suit cases and substitute coat cases during the periods when coat are sold in large quantities. This has required clothiers to invest in two types of cases, low ones for suits and high ones for coats, and it hasbeen necessary for them to find storage space for the extra cases when not in actual use on the selling floor.

By the use of the form of our invention herein described a clothier may use both sides of the case in loweredposition for suits and when it becomes necessary to increase his stock of coats he need but raise the topof one or both sides of the case and the respective hang rod or rods and the case is immediately usable for the display of coats. A small shopkeeper who does nothave the space for several cases may keep coats on one side and suits on the other but may use both for suits periods of the year asbusiness warrants.

The form of our invention here shown comprises a recessed'base 1 upon which rests the bottom 2 of the case. At each end of the case is an upright endpiece 3 and at each vertical edge thereof is a pilaster'4. Between the bottom of the case and th upright end pieces thereof is a sta tionary-dividing frame 5 which separates thecase into two sections A and B which are exactly alike in all respects. This dividing frame 5 is open at its central portion and consists of thelower portionfi which runs along the-center line of the bottom 2 of the case, the two side portions 7 which run up the center lines of the upright end pieces 30f the case and the top portion 8.

Attached to the inner surface of each end piece 3 of the case are two vertical columns 9 having circular axial openings I0 throughout their length and riding in each or said openings-is an upright pipe ll. At the upper extremity of each o-f-said upright pipes is an elbow- I 2 and each pair of elbows is joined by a hang rod 13. At a point near the top of each vertical-column 9 is a trigger box [4 through which passes horizontally the long end of an L shaped trigger l5. Theshort end of each trigger extends downwardly and out of the bottom of said trigger box so as to allow manual manipulation thereof. Each upright pipe H has one or more holes 16 so placed as to be engageable by the long end of the respective trigger. Each trigger I5 is held in place in the selected hole l6 by means of a spring ll.

Fastened to the inner surface of each upright end piece 3 of the case are two panels l8. Each such panel extends from a column 9 to within a short distance of the dividing frame 5. The space between the edgeof said panel and the dividing frame is left open to form a slot 25. Slidably positioned in each pair of slots is a guiding frame I9 which consists of two guides 20 and a cross piece 21. Hinged to the upper portion of each cross piece by the hinges Z2 is a cover portion 23 of the .Case. Attached to the top edge of each upright end piece 3 of the case s a coping strip 24.

The use of our invention may now be readily apparent. Should it be necessary to display short garments such as suit ina case of the form here described one or both sections may be adjusted as shown at A. When so adjusted the hang rod 23 of the case is grasped at its outer edge and swung upwardly until it is vertical and it is then lowered into the slots 25 until the guides 20 rest upon the bottom 2 of the case and the two triggers I5 in that section of the case are retracted until the upright pipes H are free to move and the hang rod and upright pipes are then raised to any desirable height and the trigger released so as to position themselves into the proper hole IS in the upright pipes.

In this form of our invention both sections of a case may be in lowered positions as shown at A or in raised positions as shown at B or one side may be lowered and the other raised as shown in Figure 1.

It is to be noted that the stationary dividing frame 5 has been left open throughout its central portion so that the shoulder portions of garments hanging in both sections of a case may mesh against each other so as to save space. This is also true when the hangers in both sides of a case are in raised positions as in that event the shoulders of the garments will be above the top portion 3 of the dividing frame 5.

While we have herein described and upon the drawing shown one eX-emplification of our invention, it is to be understood that our invention is not limited thereto but may comprehend other constructions, details, arrangements of parts, and features without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus disclosed the invention we claim:

1. A garment case of the character described comprising a base and a pair of upright end pieces thereon, a dividing frame on the base and between the end pieces whereby to divide the case into two sections, said dividing frame having a passage therethrough, each section having garment supporting means and a top and vertical guiding means for the top, said guiding means having ,a passage therethrough, the passages through the dividing frame and the guiding means being in substantial registr when the tops are in closed positions so as to allow garments in the two sections to intermesh through said passages.

2. A garment case combining a base, a pair of upright end pieces supported by the base, a dividing frame between said end pieces whereby to divide the case into two sections, said dividing frame having a passage therethrough, each section having garment supporting means and a top and vertical guide means in the case for said top, said guiding means having a passage therethrough, the passages through the dividing frame and the guiding means being in at least partial registry when the tops are in opened positions so as to allow the lower parts of garments in the two sections to intermesh through said passages.

3. A garment case comprising in combination a base, a dividing frame over the base whereby to divide the case into two sections, said dividing frame having a passage therethrough, each section having garment sustaining means and a top and vertical guiding means in the case for said top, said guiding means having a passage therethrough, the garment sustaining means being adjustable to a high position to sustain long garments when the top is opened and to a low position to sustain short garments, the passages through the dividing frame and the guiding means being in at least partial registry when the garment sustaining means of the two sections are in low positions so as to allow the lower parts of garments in the two sections to intermesh through said passages,

4. A garment case comprising in combination a base, a dividing frame over the base whereby to divide the case into two sections, said dividing frame having a passage therethrough, each section having garment sustaining means and a top and vertical guide means in the case for said top, said guiding means having a passage therethrough, the garment sustaining means being adjustable to a high position to sustain long garments when the top is opened and to a low position to sustain short garments, the passages through the dividing frame and the guiding means being in at least partial registry when the garment sustaining means of one section are in low position and the garment sustaining means of the other section are in high position so as to allow the lower parts of the garments in one section to intermesh through said passages with the garments in the other section.

5. A garment case comprising in combination a base, a dividing frame over the base whereby to divide the case into two sections, said dividing frame having a passage therethrough, each section having garment sustaining means and a top and vertical guiding means in the case for said top, said guiding means having a passage therethrough, the garment sustaining means being vertically adjustable to sustain garments of different lengths when the top is opened, the passages through the dividing frame and the guiding means being in at least partial registry irrespective of the vertical adjustments of the garment sustaining means so as to allow at least the lower parts of the garments in the two sections to intermesh through said passages.

6. A garment case comprising a base; two upright end pieces sustained thereby; two garment carrying means in the case; two covers; which are horizontal when closed and vertical when open; two guiding means for said covers, each guiding means including a frame open at its central portion and positioned between said end pieces so as to slide vertically; said case being separated into two sections by said two guiding means, the open portions of said guiding means being in substantial registry when the covers are closed so as to allow garments in the two sections to intermesh through said open portions.

-7. A garment case comprising a base; two upright end pieces sustained thereby; two garment carrying means in the case; two covers, which are horizontal when closed and vertical when open; two guiding means for said covers, each guiding means including a frame open at its central portion and positioned between said end pieces so as to slide vertically; said case being separated into two sections b said two guiding means, the open portions of said guiding means being in substantial registry when the covers are open so as to allow garments in the two sections to intermesh through said open portions.

8. A garment case comprising a frame-like member, having an opening at its central portion, separating said case into two sections; each of said sections being provided with vertically adjustable garment carrying means; the said frame-like member and garment carrying means being so disposed that, when the garment carrying means of the two sections are in lowered positions, garments hanging thereon may inter-' mesh through the opening of the frame-like member and, when saidgarment carrying means are in raised positions, garments hanging thereon may intermesh above the top of the framelike member; each of said sections being provided with a cover which may be opened by being slid into vertical position in the case by means of vertical guide means inthe case or closed and which, in either position, does not materially interfere with such intermeshing of at least the lower portions of said garments.

9. A garment case having in combination a base; a vertical frame-like member having an opening at its central portion sustained by said base; two sections in close proximity upon said base and separated by said frame-like member and intercommunicating through said opening; each section being equipped with a pair of upright end pieces sustained by the base, a garment supporting means vertically adjustable to the length of garments to be accommodated, and

a cover which may be closed in a horizontal position over the garment supporting means, when short garments are being accommodated, and opened by being slid into a vertical position between the two sections by means of vertical guide means in the case, when long garments are being accommodated; the two garment supporting means being disposed at such a distance from each other that the wide portions of garments supported by one such means may intermesh with the wide portions of garments supported by the other such means, such intermeshing being possible when both covers are open and both garment supporting means in raised positions and also when both covers are closed and both garment supporting means in lowered positions.

NATHAN MESTEL. JOSEPH BERMAN. 

